The present invention relates to a flying machine.
The document US 2010/0243794 A1 discloses a flying machine comprising two or more rotor means (for example a quadrocopter) including a central portion on which an electronic control means is arranged as well as arms extending radially outwardly from the central portion which take a cross shape when viewed from above. At the free ends of the four arms rotor means are arranged. Furthermore, the quadrocopter includes a stabilizing device.
The utility model DE 20 2006 013 909 U1 discloses a flying machine having a modular design, especially a quadrocopter, comprising a base element, extensions arranged in cross shape and a respective drive unit including air propeller at each of the four ends of the extensions, wherein the extensions are detachably mounted on the base element via plug-in and screwed connections. In the case of impact, the utility model provides plural impact brackets spanning in the longitudinal and transverse directions for the protection of an electronic system arranged in the area of the base element, an impact protection for gear-wheels and/or motors of the drive units as well as an exchangeable landing frame absorbing hard shocks.
Even if these protective devices according to the utility model are capable of preventing or at least reducing damage which an impact caused by a too hard landing could do to the electronic system, gearwheels/motors or the structure, destruction of the flying machine can probably not be prevented in the case of crash from big height. Equally, although the flying machine itself can be protected to a limited extent by the suggested measures, however protection of objects and creatures on the ground, for example buildings and human beings, against the flying machine falling down cannot be guaranteed. Crash of the flying machine might be caused by partial or complete failure of the drive. In such case in which the lift required to maintain the flying machine in the air cannot be generated by the drive any longer, the flying machine will fall down at an increasing speed. Depending on the last flying position in which the drive was still working and on whether the drive partly or completely fails, the flying machine in addition can start tumbling and can fall down in a completely uncontrollable manner.
The utility model DE 20 2005 008 775 U1 discloses an emergency system for a toy flying machine. The emergency system comprises an inflatable parachute consisting of a shaped double-walled chamber which is inflated by compressed air based on a control command for inflating the parachute. For this purpose, the emergency system further comprises a compressed-air cartridge, a trigger mechanism for the compressed-air cartridge as well as a radio signal receiver for receiving the control command. Furthermore, a common parachute is mentioned as emergency means.
The emergency system thus requires plural components, viz. the parachute itself and, in addition, a control system for the parachute which, according to the utility model, consists of a compressed-air cartridge, a trigger mechanism as well as a radio signal receiver. Alternatively to the radio signal receiver, also a sensor system and control logics for independently detecting a case of crash and triggering the parachute would be imaginable. Both the compressed-air cartridge and the trigger mechanism have to be maintained to ensure the functionality thereof in the case of crash, which causes expenditure and costs. Furthermore, after triggering components have to be exchanged, for example the compressed-air cartridge, or in the case of a common parachute a blasting capsule as trigger mechanism, which equally would cause expenditure and costs.
Moreover, it is endeavored to adapt the control software of multicopters so that in the case of partial failure of the drive system of a multicopter, for example in the case of failure of a rotor means of the multicopter, the multicopter is maintained to be flying with the aid of the remaining still functioning rotor means or the emergency landing thereof is made possible in that the remaining rotor means compensate for the lift component missing due to the failure and the multicopter is especially put into a controlled tumbling movement, for example. These endeavors become the more complicated and an actual prevention of crash becomes the more improbable, the fewer rotor means are provided on the multicopter and the more rotor means in fact fail. In particular, reduction of damage in the case of crash is not possible by these measures, when a lot of or all rotor means fail. Furthermore, this measure requires additional sensors and reliable failure detection.
The document WO 2012/030076 A2 discloses a flying machine having a vertical central shaft and a motor and a power rotor arranged on an upside of the shaft. The power rotor enables the flying machine to ascend and descend. On the side of the central shaft three fixing plates are arranged. On each of the fixing plates an adjusting motor having an adjusting rotor, respectively, is arranged. When the power rotor rotates, an anti-torque is generated at the central shaft. The adjusting rotors enable compensation of the anti-torque, thereby allowing stops, left turns, right turns, etc. The fixing plates may be inclined such that a downwash of the power rotor collides with the inclined fixing plates, thereby compensation part of the anti-torque such that energy consumption by the adjusting motors can be reduced.
Further prior art is known from documents U.S. Pat. No. 7,497,759 B1, DE 202 18 263 U1, DE 68 02 033 U, DE 23 05 856 A, DE 17 18 496 U, US 2005/0121553 A1, US 2006/0121818 A1, US 2011/0024553 A1, US 2013/0068877 A1, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,949,693 A, 5,297,759 A, 5,634,839 A, and DE 20 2013 102 796 U1.
Accordingly it is desirable to provide an improved flying machine.